What are the arteries and veins of the distal phalanx?

• A. Circumflex vein and artery
• B. Paracuneal arteries
• C. Dorsal arteries of the distal phalanx
• D. Bulbar arteries

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that the distal phalanx is supplied primarily by the dorsal arteries that run along its dorsal surface, with veins traveling alongside them. These dorsal arteries deliver blood to the bone, periosteum, and the nail apparatus at the tip of the digit, and the accompanying veins form the dorsal venous network draining that area. Other vessels described either wrap around the hoof to supply the hoof wall rather than the distal phalanx itself, or aren’t the standard vessels associated with the distal phalanx, so they’re not the primary sources of arterial and venous supply here.